World Investment Advisors LLC Takes Position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 61,116 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $30,122,000. Murphy USA makes up 0.7% of World Investment Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. World Investment Advisors LLC owned 0.30% of Murphy USA at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 40.4% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Key Financial Inc raised its stake in Murphy USA by 942.9% during the third quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 146 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Murphy USA by 82.1% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 173 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 25.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 201 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 135.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 186 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Murphy USA Trading Up 0.2 %

Murphy USA stock traded up $1.34 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $548.11. The stock had a trading volume of 126,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 192,919. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19. The firm has a market cap of $11.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.57 and a beta of 0.78. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52-week low of $350.55 and a 52-week high of $561.08. The company has a fifty day moving average of $509.13 and a 200 day moving average of $496.69.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.64 by $0.56. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 62.73% and a net margin of 2.48%. The firm had revenue of $5.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.69 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 23.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 4th were given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.35%. This is an increase from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on MUSA shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Murphy USA from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $415.00 to $435.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $495.33.

Murphy USA Company Profile

Murphy USA Inc engages in marketing of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise. The company operates retail stores under the Murphy USA, Murphy Express, and QuickChek brands, as well as operates non-fuel convenience stores. It operates retail gasoline stores principally in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest United States.